Needing Someone
by Dolarodus Sundra Vrannae
Summary: A ningen with flaming red hair and a yellow vixen realize they'ven grown closer than they thought when a certain time of year rolls around again for our frozen fox. Rated M just in case.
1. I Never Knew

Renamon perched on the largest limb of a weather-scarred oak. As she stood a pair of ningen caught her eye. She watched as a man and woman embraced one another. She sighed and slouched against the trunk of the oak.

'Why do I do this to myself? Every single time mating season rolls around I start looking for someone, go after anyone, and end up with Rika tying me up to make sure I end up with no one.'

"RENAMON!" A girl of thirteen with scarlet hair tied back in a short ponytail called from the base of the tree. It startled Rena so that she nearly fell. This puzzled the girl until she spied the young couple across the way.

"Don't tell me. Mating season again?"

Renamon didn't answer.

"So, how long until it starts?" "About three days-a week at most"

"You're staying at my house this time."

"What do you mean?"

"YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!!" Several joggers stopped to stare at a lone girl standing beside a large oak tree seemingly yelling at no one in particular. An instant later many of them found speed thought only possible for a runaway locomon as that sweet looking girl gave a glare of such rage and daring that it is believed that to this day a feeling of dread washes over any who stand too close to that tree.

"And I thought I was intimidating."

"Just take me back to the house."

"As you wish."

A few silent moments later they were lounging in Rika's bedroom. Rika lay atop her futon her pillow covering her head, while Renamon sat with her legs crossed and her back against the far wall.

A small device attached the trainer's waist issued a loud beeping noise and started to glow. Rena was on her feet before the girl had even reached for it. In fact, she wasn't reaching for it at all.

"Rika?…Aren't you going to-"

"No. You may as well sit down. As far as we're concerned, for the next week there is no world outside this house."

"What!?"

The girl sat up slowly, scooting back so she could rest against the wall.

"Three months ago you neglected to tell me it was time. Much to my surprise when in the middle of a fight you start making passes instead of throwing punches!"

"He seemed interested, and he was an angemon!"

"You forget! There was also a myotismon, three versions of ogremon!"

"But-"

"I'm not done! That's day one! You managed to get away and it took all of us searching everywhere we could think of to find you! You're lucky that poor guy you grabbed was too drunk to do anything or you'd be breastfeeding right now! Then when Takato found you, it was all he and Guilmon could do to keep you off of them!"

"Well what am I supposed to do?! It's not exactly pleasant to stay strapped to your bed every night! And another thing, what's with the muzzle? Is there some real reason or are you just trying to shut me up?"

Rika turned her head away. "You moan in your sleep. Loudly. Would you rather Grandma hear it and have her up?" "No, I'd rather be able to get up and walk around!"

And it was then that she smelled the tears. It was rare that Rika cried. There was only one time that she could remember. The last had been a year ago when she had gotten the call about her mother. Her plane had gone down in the pacific. There were no survivors. She had shed only a few tears then. Now they flowed freely.

"Do you think I like doing this?! Do you think I like seeing you toss and turn. I hate it when go into to heat! Its like you're someone else! Sometimes you don't even hear my voice when I'm right in from of you! You go after anyone to try and finish it, and I couldn't call myself your friend if I didn't stop you! Don't you understand?! I would do anything if it meant you didn't have to go through that!"

In half a heartbeat Renamon had closed the gap between them and embraced her. She held her close and kissed her head. The tears that Rika cried now flowed down Renamon's coat.


	2. I'm Sorry

Renamon quietly pondered her situation as she lay there beside her partner. 'She was crying. She was crying because of me.' She rolled slightly and put her arm around the girl. She sighed and then began to whisper. "I don't want you to cry, Rika, not ever again." It was more to herself than to her partner, but she felt better for saying it.

Unfortunately, now she was completely awake. Her stomach began to growl and she finally surrendered to her hunger. She walked slowly through the house making no noise-not that she ever did. She loved the relative quiet that the night provided the constant noise of the day hurt her ears and as far as she could see served no purpose.

She grabbed some leftover stir-fry from the fridge and popped it in the microwave. 'It's amazing the things these humans think of.' She took a pair of chopsticks from the drawer and headed to the family room to watch television.

She sat on a large cushion with her legs crossed. She turned it on with the small remote and the box sprang to life. The screen began to emit a low hiss. 'Oh great, it's my favorite show. The cable must be out.' She turned the television off and ate in silence.

In the darkness of her room, even darker dreams tortured Rika. She shivered and turned as her dream took its worst road yet.

_Renamon sat holding her now enormous belly. She was crying silently. "Where were you Rika?! You said you would help me! You said you wouldn't let this happen!" _

She shot up. She was panting heavily and drenched in sweat. "Renamon!"

The fox appeared as in from thin air, as she always did. "Yes?"

She let out a relieved sigh. "You scared me. For a second there, I thought I might have to go chasing after you again."

"That's not going to happen again."

"Good." She sat there for a moment pondering if she should go back to sleep but decided against it. "I need a shower."

"Yes you do." The vixen's tail twitched as if it were smirking at her.

"I don't smell THAT bad."

"You forget I have a sensitive nose." She didn't miss the glare the Rika shot her, nor did she miss the quick smile afterward.


	3. I'm Trapped

Renamon padded slowly through the empty halls calmed to an almost meditative state and bored to tears. She had been trapped for only a few hours now and it was already wearing on her.

It dawned on her that she didn't know what was worse: the lack of the usual training or the fact that they had missed seven battles since lunch alone.

"More are appearing in minutes than have appeared in a month and I'm stuck here." She stopped and rested herself against the hallway wall. She wasn't at all tired but the whole situation weighed heavily on her mind.

"Jason, you know I wouldn't call unless this was super important. I need your advice." The tamer's knuckle's flashed white as she waited for a reply.

"What is problem?" A computerized voice spoke in broken Japanese. The voice was plain but thousands of miles away he listened as a frightened girl unraveled her nightmare through a translation device and he worried.

"Do you love her?" the digital voice asked. Rika was taken aback at the question.

"What do you mean?"

"When my partner needs touch, I am place. I help."

"You what?" Rika thought she understood what he meant, but he must have misspoken. Did he really mean…that?

"He loves me." A feminine voice spoke now and Rika gasped, knowing exactly what she meant.

"He…what should I do?" Rika waited on baited breath.

"Do you love her?"

"Yes, but-"

"Then you must love her."

Click

She set the receiver down and sat at the table.

"There's nothing for it." She sigh. "I'll have to take her to the cabin. Maybe then I can…think."

"It has been a while since we went there." Rika nearly jumped out of her skin as her partner spoke.

"You know, sometimes I wish you didn't do that."

"What?" She smirked slyly and turned to leave when Rika stopped her.

"Rena…mon."

"Yes Rika?" The girl looked tense perhaps even frightened. It wasn't like Rika to be afraid of anything.

"Do you…never mind." It was too blunt. It didn't feel right to ask it but now she wanted to know. It frustrated her that a simple question could make her hesitate but she held it back nonetheless.

"Does this have anything to do with the phone call?"

For a moment she considered lying but decided against it. She had never lied to Renamon and she didn't plan on starting now of all times.

"Yes."

"Is it anything I should be worried about?"

"No…Pack your things, we're taking a train to the cabin tomorrow."

"Done."

"Oh, right. We need to get you some things. It's strange. We've been partners for years and to look at the house it's like you've never even been here."

"What would I need? I sleep in your room. What food I don't catch, you give me. I don't use weapons when I fight. The truth of it is, when I'm with you I have everything I need. I-"

Rika's face was as red as Guilamon's scales. Feeling the heat in her face the girl turned away.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"No, you didn't…what were we talking about?"

"The cabin?"

"Oh, right." She shook her head. "We'll leave at noon so we should get there around nightfall. How much time do you think is left?"

"About two days, give or take."

"Just great." She sighed and pulled out her D-Arc. "Come over here."

Puzzled she approach Rika slowly. The device was emitting a strangely familiar beeping sound but she couldn't quite place it. "Rika, what are you doing?" A stream of light shot out of the digivice and coiled itself around Renamon's neck before she had time to react.

"I'm doing what I have to to make sure you're safe." Renamon tugged at the glowing tether but to no avail.

"But I thought we agreed you wouldn't use the leash unless absolutely necessary."

"Like I said, I'm going to make sure that you're safe." She placed the device on her wrist and I shining band wrapped itself around her arm. As it stilled, both the leash and the band dulled until they appeared no more special than something bought in a convenience store. "We'll talk more in the morning, but right now I need some sleep."

"But Rika I-"

"IN THE MORNING."

Renamon sighed knowing there was nothing she could say to change Rika's mind now. "Can I at least have the left side of the bed this time?"

"Fine."

"Thank you."


	4. I'm Bored

"Please?"

"For the thousandth time, no!"

It is a strange thing to watch a trainer and digimon argue, especially when you have never seen a digimon up close. Suffice it to say that the few people that had stayed in the passenger car were amazed to see one of the creatures from the events of four years ago tethered to a young girl with red hair.

In truth, the fact that they were arguing had long since lost its amusement. What had caught they're attention however was that every so often the creature would attempt to bolt but as hard as it tried to pull away the girl was able to hold her without so much as budging from her seat.

The girl sighed and whispered to her partner. "If you don't sit down I'm going to have to use the tranquilizer and you know I can't lift you."

"Stupid digizoid mesh." she said tugging at it.

"If you know what it is, then you know you can't break it so just sit down and relax." She sighed and remembered the words the Renamon had said to her when they were captured by a small batallion of corrupted knightmon. 'An impossible battle can only end in defeat or surrender. Surrender gives you time. Time is an advantage that outweighs all others.' "I need more time."

"It's time for us to be there. What's taking so long?"

"Ya know, I think I liked it better when 'I' was the one who was impatient and impulsive"

"Yeah, me too, but whacha gonna do?"

"Grab your muzzle and pay for obedience school."

By now all of the passengers had left the car with the exception of one old woman snoozing into a large bag of what looked like her groceries.

"I thought we had agreed to not joke about that." said Renamon indignantly.

" 'You' agreed and besides, who said I was joking?"

Renamon turned to the girl shocked and afraid with Rika shooting her a devilish grin. Rika proceeded to embrace the yellow vixen in a powerful hug and bury her face deep into Renamon's fur.

"I appreciate the sentiment but I can't breath."

The girl giggled and loosened her grip. "Sorry."

Renamon wrapped her slender arms around the girl, cradling her partner's head in her paw. Rika pulled back slightly and met her partner's cold blue eyes. They glowed with a warmth she had never seen before. Then they both realized what they were doing. They turned away from one another and a painful silence fell over them.

'The cabin. Ev'rything will be fine once we get to the cabin.' She sighed and got to her feet. The train was stopping now and she needed to grab they're baggage. "Where are your gloves?" she said looking about.

"Right here. I think I'll leave them off, they hurt my paws sometimes." She placed them in Rika's knapsack and stood to leave.

Strangely enough, the terminal was empty when they exited the train. There was a cab waiting and the two started off on the last leg of their trip.

Back on the train an old woman was chuckling softly to herself. "Ah, young love."


	5. I Miss It

Setting her suitcase down Rika stood for a moment admiring the cabin. It was quaint and cozy and even…intimate. It was miles from anyone else and the surrounding bamboo forest was older than ba-chan.

"Will you take it off now?" "If you don't stop asking, I may never take it off."

Renamon huffed indignantly. "We're completely surrounded by a beautiful forest with no one and nothing for miles and I get the pleasure of sitting next to you doing absolutely nothing for the next 72 hours."

Rika debated telling her now the real reason for their excursion. 'No. I've got to time it right.' "Come on, let's get everything inside before it gets dark.

It was a few hours from then when they said much other than "Hand me that." and it was beginning to get quite boring when Rika had an idea.

"Hey Renamon, I was thinking if you want…maybe we could watch the sunset? I'll even take the leash off if you promise not to run."

"I'd like that." She smiled and then Rika pressed a button on her digivice. The leash slowly faded into nothingness.

The vixen rolled her head and stretched, each sinuous muscle popping and crackling as she twisted and turned.

Rika caught herself staring and quickly looked away. She felt the heat in her cheeks burn and they burned all the more for it. "Better?"

"Much."

A few minutes later the two of them were lying on a blanket on the roof watching the sun set against the seemingly endless forest below. The twisting winds had brought two clouds together and they swirled around each other, never quite touching. Bathed in the golden light of the sunset it shimmered and shone brightly.

"How long has it been since we were out here last?" Rika asked.

Renamon thought for a minute and then said, " You were thirteen then so I think four years."

"Kami, has it really been that long?" It was felt strange thinking of those days as such a long time ago. Now they were memories.

"I miss the old days. I miss the challenge." 

"It was more fun back then."


	6. I'm Listening

Rika lay on her bed silently contemplating to possibilities of the next few hours and very few endings seemed livable. 'I might as well have just stayed at home for all the good coming here did me'

"I hate traveling." Rika said as if it were some great revelation that had just occurred to her.

"Then why didn't we stay at the house?" Renamon replied slightly annoyed. She slowly and carefully brushed her fur as she sat in front of a large vanity against the far wall.

Rika sighed unsure of how she should reply. It didn't feel right to tell her yet, but she knew it would have to be soon. Changing the subject she asked "How much time?"

Renamon place a paw between her legs feeling the heat and the beginnings of moisture. "Another hour, maybe two."

Rika sighed. Too soon. 'Now is as good a time as any.' Nervously she asked, "Renamon, do you…do you like me?"

The vixen's ears twitched slightly trying to confirm what she had heard. She put down the brush and turned to the girl leaning on the back of her chair with one arm. She stared at the girl puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Rika sat up and put her back against the headboard. This was not going like she hoped. She was too afraid to think properly.

"Rika, is something wrong? The girl was scared. Had she done something?

"I…I need to tell you something. You remember me making that call?" The fox nodded. "Well, do you remember Jason and Viximon from America?"

"How could I not? If they hadn't helped us, we'd both be dead."

Rika pulled her knees to her chest and nodded. "Well there's something else. They're more than just tamers. They've been together longer than we have so I called him for some advice."

"Where is this going?" the fox asked gazing at the girl intently.

"They both told me the same thing and now I need to tell you something but I'm afraid of how you might reply. Renamon I need to know, do you love me?"

The fox sat there afraid. For a long time she was unable to even think. Then slowly the words tumbled off her lips. "As a digimon loves a tamer, always. As a friend loves a friend, for many years now. As one lover loves another…I think so. I'm not sure of my heart because I have never felt this way about anyone else but…yes, I think love you.

The girl's heart leapt. As she had listened a wave of fear and dread had flooded her but those last words had carried her through it and she spoke, "I'm glad, because I love you too.


	7. A note from the depressed author

I can't believe it's actually been two years...wow. I was originally intending to leave the story as is. At the time I didn't have the skill or the life experience to properly write said chapter. To a certain degree I still don't. I also refused to write just a quick few lines of smut as many authors are want to do-most of them being 12yo with nothing else on their minds. Believe me. I know. I was one. Ever the romantic however, I left it implied and I had let the privacy of the cabin shield their passion from even my own mind's eye.

An author's note would have been left but life got busy and I put even that on the backburner. I got flooded out of my house- 6ft inside the house wish is itself 3ft off the ground. Been busy with family issues. I even had a chance at a family of my own...but anyway.

I need to let you know that because people keep finding and liking the story and because I'm a bit strapped for distractions these days...I'm going to overhaul the story. In and of itself it will change little with the main issue being spelling and grammar checks. I'll probably get that finished and uploaded within the week being as its not exactly a mountain of work.  
I would also like to announce that I will be writing a final chapter and (possibly) Epilogue (even though its too short for one). Time table is 1 month but I will not hold myself to that and neither should you try. I'm glad you enjoy my work...but I'm tired of romance just being about smut. I'm tired of there being a barrier between romance and sex. And if you dont believe there is then just take a look at the amount of rape porn out there. I...I'm tired of a lot of things. This includes complaining and for the most part only being able to complain and not do something to better my romantic standing with someone worth talking to...

I'll try to finish this thing. But I give no promises nor any real hope because I really don't have any myself-and you thought that was too angsty or emo you can shove it. Some times you have good reasons to be depressed/pissed/emotionally exhausted. And then sometimes you realize that hope gets you nothing but a blindspot on only planning and work has a chance of getting anything done. And when you can do neither-life sucks.

So once again-I will try but don't hold out too much hope. 


End file.
